Featured

SA Qualifying Final Preview

This Saturday afternoon two proud South Australian clubs will battle it out for a spot in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 and a chance to get back on the national stage.

After some entertaining qualifying rounds, and some scintillating moments of football, Adelaide City and MetroStars have emerged as the final two teams standing, as they prepare to contest the Westfield FFA Cup SA Qualifying Final at Coopers Stadium, the home of football in South Australia.

The Westfield FFA Cup in its fourth season, is the main national football knockout cup competition in Australia, and the winner of Saturday’s State Final will earn the right to progress through to the final group of 32 to compete on a national level, and the chance to be crowned Champion of Australia.

MetroStars will be looking to go back-to-back as Cup winnners after defeating Adelaide Comets 1-0 in last year’s Final. But first, they must overcome an Adelaide City side that has been at its marauding best all season.

Both teams boast plenty of talent, and the match promises some great contests between some of the league’s premier players. The highlight will be the duel between City’s dynamic midfielders Nicholas Bucco and Jordan Pudler and Metro’s Liam Wooding and Fabian Barbiero. The quartet have all been in fine form for their respective club.

A clear route to goal will be Metro’s challenge. Their wingers in Christian Esposito, and Matthew Dawber have been able to find a way through the wing channels this season, causing opposing defences some anxious moments with their speed. And (Metro coach) Robbie Saraceno will be hoping more of the same this week, if his side is to progress further in this competition.

But first they will have to negate the powerful City defence led by their central pillars in Matthew Halliday and Paul Blefari and their wing backs in Scott Nagel, who has been a great pick up from Birkalla and Bradley Corbo.

Like their opponents, Metro’s strength lies with their back four led by their captain Michael D’Aloisio, Tim Henderson, Justin Davis and two hundred gamer Anthony Solagna. Their performances have galvanised the team this season. And this week they confront their biggest challenge against the league’s most feared forward formation.